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Afghan envoy holds talks at GHQ
| Sartaj calls for Kabul’s cooperation in border management
June 16, 2016
ISLAMABAD - Pakistan and Afghanistan yesterday agreed to consider peace after the US intervention, official sources said, as unprovoked firing from across Afghan border continued on Wednesday while Islamabad again summoned Afghan envoy to register its protest.
Officials in Foreign Office said Afghan Ambassador Hazrat Omar Zakhilwal telephoned Foreign Affairs Adviser Sartaj Aziz and sought help to resolve the dispute through diplomatic means.
The Afghan envoy had returned from Afghanistan the other day after attending the National Security Council meeting in Kabul convened by President Ashraf Ghani this week. Ghani’s office alleged Pakistani forces of “violations” at Torkham and called the move by Pakistan against the international norms.
Officials said the contact between Sartaj Aziz and the Afghan envoy was positive and both the sides agreed that dialogue was the only option.
“The two concluded that there will be more talks to end the tension as both wanted peace,” said an official.
The Afghan ambassador, official said, also had a meeting with high-level army officers at the General Headquarters after talking to Sartaj Aziz over the telephone.
In a statement later, Sartaj Aziz condoled over the martyrdom of Major Ali Jawad and called for Afghan cooperation in border management to check terrorism.
He expressed serious concern over the continued unprovoked firing from the Afghan forces to disrupt the border management efforts by Pakistan Army well inside Pakistan’s territory.
Strengthening of management and facilitation of the movement of people and vehicles across the border is an important part of counter terrorism effort and also for checking drug trafficking and other illegal activities, he observed.
The adviser said that durable peace and stability across the border cannot be achieved without taking effective measures for strengthening border controls.
“Border management is aimed at addressing the common concern of infiltration and hence to enhance mutual security of both the countries and their peoples,” he said.
Aziz emphasised that it was important for the two sides to resolve issues through dialogue. These tensions are against the spirit of friendship between Pakistan and Afghanistan, which is based on common religion, cultural values and strong bonds between the people of the two countries.
He hoped for Afghan cooperation in addressing the security issues, especially cross-border terrorism, due to the unregulated porous border between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Meanwhile yesterday, Foreign Secretary Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhary summoned Hazrat Omar Zakhilwal to the foreign ministry to lodge Pakistan’s strong protest over the martyrdom of Major Ali Jawad Khan, an officer of Pakistan Army, who was injured on June 13, 2016 due to unprovoked firing by Afghan security forces at Torkham border crossing.
The Afghan government was urged to take immediate steps to bring this unprovoked firing to an end.
The Foreign Secretary stressed the Pakistani side was undertaking construction works on its side to regulate the movements of people as well as vehicles with the prior agreement of the Afghan government.
He expressed concern over the continued firing by the Afghan forces for last few days with a view to disrupt the construction works aimed at strengthening effective border management.
Foreign Secretary rejected allegations coming from Afghanistan that the construction works being undertaken by Pakistan were violation of the agreements and understandings reached between the two countries. It was reiterated that these works are being undertaken on Pakistani side and were started after the two sides had agreed on them during the meetings held last month.
Underscoring the importance of border management for strengthening mutual security and checking infiltration of terrorists and militants, the Foreign Secretary emphasised the need for resolving this issue through constructive engagement.
Published in The Nation newspaper on 16-Jun-2016
http://nation.com.pk/national/16-Jun-2016/afghan-envoy-holds-talks-at-ghq
| Sartaj calls for Kabul’s cooperation in border management
June 16, 2016
ISLAMABAD - Pakistan and Afghanistan yesterday agreed to consider peace after the US intervention, official sources said, as unprovoked firing from across Afghan border continued on Wednesday while Islamabad again summoned Afghan envoy to register its protest.
Officials in Foreign Office said Afghan Ambassador Hazrat Omar Zakhilwal telephoned Foreign Affairs Adviser Sartaj Aziz and sought help to resolve the dispute through diplomatic means.
The Afghan envoy had returned from Afghanistan the other day after attending the National Security Council meeting in Kabul convened by President Ashraf Ghani this week. Ghani’s office alleged Pakistani forces of “violations” at Torkham and called the move by Pakistan against the international norms.
Officials said the contact between Sartaj Aziz and the Afghan envoy was positive and both the sides agreed that dialogue was the only option.
“The two concluded that there will be more talks to end the tension as both wanted peace,” said an official.
The Afghan ambassador, official said, also had a meeting with high-level army officers at the General Headquarters after talking to Sartaj Aziz over the telephone.
In a statement later, Sartaj Aziz condoled over the martyrdom of Major Ali Jawad and called for Afghan cooperation in border management to check terrorism.
He expressed serious concern over the continued unprovoked firing from the Afghan forces to disrupt the border management efforts by Pakistan Army well inside Pakistan’s territory.
Strengthening of management and facilitation of the movement of people and vehicles across the border is an important part of counter terrorism effort and also for checking drug trafficking and other illegal activities, he observed.
The adviser said that durable peace and stability across the border cannot be achieved without taking effective measures for strengthening border controls.
“Border management is aimed at addressing the common concern of infiltration and hence to enhance mutual security of both the countries and their peoples,” he said.
Aziz emphasised that it was important for the two sides to resolve issues through dialogue. These tensions are against the spirit of friendship between Pakistan and Afghanistan, which is based on common religion, cultural values and strong bonds between the people of the two countries.
He hoped for Afghan cooperation in addressing the security issues, especially cross-border terrorism, due to the unregulated porous border between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Meanwhile yesterday, Foreign Secretary Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhary summoned Hazrat Omar Zakhilwal to the foreign ministry to lodge Pakistan’s strong protest over the martyrdom of Major Ali Jawad Khan, an officer of Pakistan Army, who was injured on June 13, 2016 due to unprovoked firing by Afghan security forces at Torkham border crossing.
The Afghan government was urged to take immediate steps to bring this unprovoked firing to an end.
The Foreign Secretary stressed the Pakistani side was undertaking construction works on its side to regulate the movements of people as well as vehicles with the prior agreement of the Afghan government.
He expressed concern over the continued firing by the Afghan forces for last few days with a view to disrupt the construction works aimed at strengthening effective border management.
Foreign Secretary rejected allegations coming from Afghanistan that the construction works being undertaken by Pakistan were violation of the agreements and understandings reached between the two countries. It was reiterated that these works are being undertaken on Pakistani side and were started after the two sides had agreed on them during the meetings held last month.
Underscoring the importance of border management for strengthening mutual security and checking infiltration of terrorists and militants, the Foreign Secretary emphasised the need for resolving this issue through constructive engagement.
Published in The Nation newspaper on 16-Jun-2016
http://nation.com.pk/national/16-Jun-2016/afghan-envoy-holds-talks-at-ghq